Embodiments herein generally relate to systems, methods, services, etc. for providing a tool for use within monochrome, highlight color, or full color environments for the generation of edge barcodes/text/images on printed stacks of sheets that can be set up at the print queue level for all print files that are submitted to that queue.
Customers who print documents in quantity, which are later warehoused for future distribution, must have a method for identifying the stored document for future access. Typically, a barcode identifying the document will be placed on the cover of the document, which requires that the document be handled to access and read the barcode to verify that the correct document has been located and is ready for distribution. Alternatively, the documents can be stored in labeled cartons and the cartons on shelves. Should the documents be stored in the wrong carton and/or shelf, this error could result in loss of time spent to correct the problem or delivery of the wrong product and the additional costs incurred to correct this error.
Besides order fulfillment, periodically the contents in the warehouse must be inventoried. One of the challenges with tracking inventory is keeping an accurate count. If the inventory is warehoused incorrectly or the person performing the count records an incorrect total, the accuracy of the count is in jeopardy requiring that the inventory be justified in some manner. This can cause delays in opening the warehouse for continuing business.
With embodiments herein, placing markings such as a barcode on an unbound edge of a document allows an operator to scan the barcode on yet another surface to validate that they have identified the correct document without time being consumed in handling operations. An automated delivery system can scan the barcode to confirm the correct document has been pulled and to route it to the correct packaging station.
Another consideration of embodiments herein is the utilization of the empty space of a document's unbound edges for the printing of images. These images can represent words, graphics, or numbering in the form of the book title or publisher, logo, series number, or product advertisements to defray publishing costs.
Thus, embodiments herein provide the user a tool to print marks on the sides of stacks of printed content (e.g., at the unbound edge of a bound document). The user can enter a value or image that is rendered into a barcode or a suitable image print stream at a printer controller queue level. This data is printed as a barcode or image at the defined location on each page. With the correctly sized marks placed at the edge of the appropriate number of accumulated pages, a barcode or other image running down an edge can be created. If the document will be trimmed later, the marks are placed where the finished edge location will be.
More specifically, this disclosure presents a method, system, computer program, etc. that receives a multi-page print job. The print job comprises content to be printed on sheets to produce a stack of printed sheets. To be specific with nomenclature herein, each of the sheets is said to have two “sheet sides” and four “sheet edges” between/bordering the sheet sides and the “content” is printed on at least one of the two sheet sides. In other words, a standard rectangular sheet of letter or legal paper has two sheet sides (a front side (first page) and a back side (second page)) upon which printing is performed. Such a sheet also has four sheet edges (a top edge, two side edges, and a bottom edge). While the examples used herein use rectangular flat sheets, one ordinarily skilled in the art would understand that the invention is equally applicable to sheets of different geometric shape (e.g., triangles, curved sheets, etc.).
One feature of embodiments herein is the identification of a “side mark” that will appear on at least one “stack side” of the stack of printed sheets. Again, for nomenclature purposes, the “stack side” is made up of all the exposed sheet edges in the stack and the “side mark” is the barcode, text, image, logo, picture, etc. that will be visible when the stack side is viewed side on. The side mark can be monochrome or color, depending upon the printing capability of the printer being used.
One manner in which the embodiments herein can identify the side mark is based on receiving user input to dynamically identify the side mark. For example, this feature can be included within the print queue processing such that, at the time of adding the print job to a print queue, the user can dynamically select a portion of the content of the print job as the side mark. Alternatively, the user can enter the side mark or identify a file containing the side mark.
Alternatively, the embodiments herein can automatically identify the side mark. For example, the method can copy the side mark from a predetermined location of a predetermined page of the print job. Thus, the method can copy a barcode from a specific predetermined location of the cover page of a print job as the side mark to automatically duplicate the barcode on the stack side. Similarly, the embodiments herein can automatically copy the title, author, serial number, initial image, etc. from the content to automatically identify such an item as the side mark to be placed on the stack side.
With respect to the manner in which the side mark is actually printed, the method determines locations within the print job of “side markings.” The methods herein do not actually print the side markings directly on the sheet edges, but instead the side markings are printed simultaneously with the content on the sheet sides. The locations selected for the side markings places the side markings along regions of the sheets where the sheet sides meet the sheet edges (on the sheet sides along the sheet edges). By locating the side markings at the edges of the sheet sides, a certain amount of the toner or ink on the sheet sides bleeds through to the sheet edges and is visible when the sheets are viewed edge on. The combination of the individual side markings actually creates the side mark in a similar manner that individual pixels create images in display and printing devices.
However, one feature is that the embodiments herein can dynamically determine the locations within the print job of such side markings. More specifically, embodiments herein calculate the height of the stack of printed sheets based on the number of sheets in the print job and the thickness of the sheets. With the height of the stack of printed sheets known, the method scales the side mark by adjusting the locations of the side markings such that the resulting side mark is centered along the stack side and is not distorted.
Once the foregoing is performed, the method can easily print the multi-page print job to produce the stack of printed sheets with the side mark on the stack side. These and other features are described in, or are apparent from, the following detailed description.